The Shift from Fountain to Ballpoint during World War 2
Did you Know?
During World War II, fountain pens were replaced by ballpoint pens by soldiers.
In high altitudes, the reduced air pressure leads to excessive ink flow or uncontrollably leaking of fountain pens, which rely on gravity to pull ink from the reservoir. This was a severe issue for pilots who needed reliable writing products for communication and recording important information. The solution came in the form of ballpoint pens, which had been invented in the early 20th century but had not yet gained widespread popularity.
Ballpoint pens do not require gravity to transfer ink from the reservoir to the paper as they use a tiny revolving ball bearing. They did not leak or flow too quickly when not in use, which increased their dependability at high altitudes.Since then, ballpoint pens were an ideal choice for military use and it started getting popular in civilian life. Ballpoint pens are now a necessary writing instrument and a well-known representation of creativity and communication.
